Whatever side of the aisle you're on, it is clear today more than ever that the American people are seeking more transparency in our democratic process for our fair and free elections.

In a TikTok video that has gone viral with over 3 million views, the question "Where is my ballot?" has become front and center in the conversation about our recent election. Over 15,000 comments and countless videos across social media are individuals seeking more information about where their vote is and if it was counted.

This question has lead us to look further into each respective state, where there is a resounding lack of ballot transparency across the board. States like Colorado and Illinois provide online tracking for mail-in and in-person ballots, while other states have no way to check their in-person ballots, and some states offer no tracking options at all. There are conflicting accounts of ballots having personal identifying information on them, others being completely blank, and others being given a receipt that ties to their ID.

We're calling upon our elected officials to offer the American people consistency and a reduction in barriers in verifying that our votes count. The voting process is a crucial part of our democracy and left to individual states, as it is currently, we see a neglect in ensuring that our votes and our voices are heard. We need a sweeping reform and a national standard that requires online tracking for mail-in, absentee, provisional, in-person, same-day registry and any other ballot that is collected.

Please sign an executive order to create a minimum requirement for ballot tracking in every state.

Every vote counts, every vote matters and the American people want to feel encouraged that the voting system works for us.

 

Thank you for your quick attention to this matter.

 

Please see below for current ballot tracking availability and resources by state.

• Alabama- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Alaska- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Arizona- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and provisional ballots through their state website, provides text and/or e-mail updates for ballot tracking
• Arkansas- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• California- reported to offer online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots, provides text and/or e-mail updates for ballot tracking, has an option to call to track ballot, has a state website but it's unclear if this is what is used to track ballots
• Colorado- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and ballots cast in person through their state website, provides text and/or e-mail updates for ballot tracking
• Connecticut- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Delaware- has a state website to review voting registration but it's unclear if they offer any ballot tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots or provisional ballots
• Florida- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and provisional ballots, as well as ballots cast in person (this varies by county) through their state website, provides text and/or e-mail updates for ballot tracking
• Georgia- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and provisional ballots through their state website
• Hawaii- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Idaho- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots and reportedly ballots cast in person through their state website
• Illinois- has been reported to offer tracking for ballots cast in person (this varies by county), as well as provisional ballots, but it's unclear how they find this information on their state website
• Indiana- is reported to offer online tracking but it's unclear which ballots are tracked on their state website
• Iowa- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and is reported to track provisional ballots through their state website, has an option to call to track ballot
• Kansas- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and provisional ballots through their state website
• Kentucky- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Louisiana- is reported to track mail-in/absentee ballots on their state website but it's unclear if this is accurate
• Maine- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Maryland- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and provisional ballots through their state website, provides text and/or e-mail updates for ballot tracking
• Massachusetts- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and provisional ballots through their state website, has an option to call to track ballot
• Michigan- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and provisional ballots through their state website, has an option to call to track ballot
• Minnesota- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Mississippi- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Missouri- DOES NOT OFFER ANY STATEWIDE TRACKING OPTIONS. The city of St. Louis and Calhoun County offer their own tracking options, it's unclear what those options are
• Montana- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Nebraska- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Nevada- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website, provides text and/or e-mail updates for ballot tracking
• New Hampshire- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• New Jersey- offers online tracking through their state website but it's unclear what ballots are able to be tracked
• New Mexico- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• New York- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• North Carolina- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website and is reported to offer tracking for provisional ballots
• North Dakota- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Ohio- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website and has been reported to offer tracking for ballots cast in person (this may vary by county)
• Oklahoma- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Oregon- mails ballots to all registered voters and provides online tracking through their state website but it's unclear what ballots are able to be tracked
• Pennsylvania- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website and provides tracking for provisional ballots 7 days after Election Day
• Rhode Island- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• South Carolina- is reported to offer online tracking on their state website for when mail-in/absentee ballots are received but not when/if they are accepted
• South Dakota- is reported to offer online tracking on their state website for when mail-in/absentee ballots are received but not when/if they are accepted
• Tennessee- is reported to offer online tracking on their state website for mail-in/absentee ballots but it's unclear if this is accurate or just to track voter registration
• Texas- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Utah- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and provisional ballots through their state website
• Vermont- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Virginia- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website
• Washington- offers online tracking through their state website but it's unclear what ballots are able to be tracked
• Washington D.C.- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and provisional ballots through their state website
• West Virginia- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee and provisional ballots through their state website and has been reported to track ballots cast in person through calling the local election office
• Wisconsin- offers online tracking for mail-in/absentee ballots through their state website and is reported to also track ballots cast in person through this resource
• Wyoming- DOES NOT OFFER ONLINE TRACKING OPTIONS (with the exception of citizens in the military and temporarily overseas)
   

**The information compiled is to the best of my knowledge through the resources listed below, as well as communication from residents within the state.

***These findings may still vary by county. Always call your local election office for questions and clarity.

****The terms mail-in and absentee are used interchangeably but not all states may offer the specific verbiage of one or the other.

 

Additional resources:

https://www.vote.org

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/05/did-my-vote-count-see-which-states-offer-ballot-tracking/76075468007/

https://campaignlegal.org/update/what-happens-my-ballot-after-i-vote